


The Walk Back Home

by BrownBug



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Autumn, Black Character(s), Black Male Character, Drama, Fall Vibes, Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Halloween, LGBTQ Black leads, Lgbtq black characters, M/M, October, Romance, Secret love, Teenage Drama, black leads, black love, small town
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:07:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27055396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownBug/pseuds/BrownBug
Summary: Andre was back in the small town that he left five years ago. Everything in his life had changed again. He had decided that for the next two years until he graduated high school and head off to university, his main goal was to lay low and act like nothing was different and that he was just fine.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fictional piece of work set in an imaginary town, in an alternate universe, and during an ambiguous time period.

Technically, Andre was back home. 

He remembered the long, winding dirt driveway. The large barn to the left of the property. The willow tree that sat in front of the house that he could always count on seeing to tell him how close he was to ‘home.’ The corn and pumpkin patch that was always there around this time of the year. He knew it all. He grew up there. 

He remembered the long summer days of completing chores around the farm, driving his bike down this dirt road to go to town or go to school, the cats that would run to him when he’d come home from school and follow him around the house, and the nights camping in the backyard and the long work days during the peak autumn season as they set up for the autumn and Halloween attractions. He remembered his grandparents. The kind smiles, warm hugs, and heaping plates of hot, delicious food. This was their home, not his, really. 

He just grew up here.

Here was his hometown, Green Meadows. When he did the Math, which he did on the long, dreadful and awkward drive there, he realized that he had spent most of his life in this town, at his grandparents home. This was where his family had taken roots for many generations now. Some tried to run away, but they always found their way back here. Like he had, and like his mother would in six months.

This small, dreary town and this house should be considered as ‘home,’ truthfully. But he did not. He could not. He simply did not feel welcome or feel as if he was home.  
Home was not here. He did not really have a home, which he had come to terms with in the last week. His mother telling him his father would be coming to take him home still did not sit right with him, because the word ‘home’ felt inappropriate. He supposed he would just have to get used to it.

He was now in Green Meadows, not the big city he had spent most of his formative teenage years in, getting lost in schools with almost eight hundred kids in his grade alone. He did not consider this town his home anymore. In fact, he was starting to believe he never considered it home. Not even when he lived here. Almost Six years ago. 

He had grown far beyond it. He had changed. His innocence was lost. He was different. He could not wait to get out of this town when he graduated next school year. 

He grimaced at his thought.

He believed that this probably was what his mother had been thinking when she packed up and left for the first time, after high school, and what she had felt when she woke him up in the middle of the night and told him they were leaving. Unfortunately for them, it had not been the final time. She had believed then that she had finally escaped this town, this hellhole as she was apt to tell him every chance she got. She was wrong. 

When he was eleven, he hadn’t seen it. But after half a decade away, he had started to consider Green Meadow a hellhole, too. He wondered if he could break the cycle and finally be freed of Green Meadows. Though he was not sure if he wanted to be free of his grandparents.

The only bright spot here was his grandparents.

There used to be a boy with smooth chestnut skin, dimpled cheeks and a wide smile filled with innocence and happiness, but then as was the follies of youth, he had betrayed him. Now it was just his grandparents. His stomach promptly tightened itself into extra tight knots.

He had tried his hardest not to think of the past, but how could he not when he was back here. Seeing the town he thought he had left behind forever remaining unchanged. It was hard when the ice cream place he used to frequent when he was eleven was still standing in the exact same shape.

The man’s voice came far in the distance, as if he was talking under water. “Are you coming out?”

He startled and looked up at the man that was seated in the driver’s seat, staring back at him--he was his father--and blinked at him.

He smiled at Andre. It was small and tired. It lacked luster and sincerity. He didn’t blame him. They were strangers. Even when he lived here, they had been strangers. He had lived with his grandparents. His maternal grandparents. The same ones he would be living with from now on.

“Yeah,” he said in a whisper, turning his head to take in the house: a two story country style house with a large porch that stretched around the front and sides.  
He saw his grandmother.

She was swiftly making her way down the steps, the front door left open in her rush to get out in the driveway before Andre got out of the old, beat up truck.

She looked exactly the same as he last remembered. The same long kinky gray hair which she had in two plaits hanging over her shoulders, and the same small frame and round face that reminded him of his mother, and the same bright smile. That was a smile he could never, ever forget or find an imitation of. Ever.

Yeah, so maybe he was wrong and had a home. She was his home. Seeing her and the excitement on her face brought him to reality and to term with a few emotions he had been trying to suppress. He felt the surge of love, sadness, and excitement. He still loved her and had missed her dearly. She and his papa were still his only bright spot in this dark, dreary little town.

Getting out of the car, he made for her. They met halfway. She opened her arms and he swore her smile could light up the gray October sky, if any smile could.

“Oh my. My baby, Adre,” she said, squeezing him. She was stronger than her five foot-one frame implied.

“Manman,” he muttered, letting her caress his back and press kisses on the side of his face. He hugged her back. He had been in need of a few hugs.

“Baby, how I have missed you,” she said, running her small, calloused hands up and down his back. “I thought you…”she stopped and sniffed, but she was still smiling. “I am sorry, baby, your grandfather ran out to the store to--”

“It’s fine,” he said, squeezing her harder. His world felt solid and real the more he was touching her and breathing her fragrance. She smelled of herbs and spices, and clean linen. She perpetually smelled like autumn. She smelled of good memories, love, happiness and warmth.

She also smelled of a well cooked home meal. She had been cooking. His stomach rumbled. He remembered that he hadn’t had anything to eat since yesterday morning. He had merely picked at the food his father had bought. He hadn’t been hungry, but now he was famished.

She heard the loud sound. Pushing him back, she smiled up at him and cupped his cheeks. “I have been cooking and baking all day long, baby. I will not allow you to remain this thin!” she said, her dark brown eyes running over his sinewy, six feet three inches frame.

He laughed and allowed her to grab his arm and steer him towards the house, leaving his father by the running car with his luggage in the back.

“I am not skinny, manman.”

She reached over and patted his firm stomach, shook her head and tutted. “Not in my book.”

He only laughed. He would not argue with her. He still remembered how great of a cook she was. It had been awhile since he had had a home cooked meal that was not done by him and half burned. His mother had manman’s cooking skills, though she hardly ever cooked. That was reserved for a few special occasions, like his birthday.  
He felt a bulge logged in this throat. He pushed the sour thought of his mom away.

Walking up the porch and into his manman’s warm house, the smell of deliciously cooked food swarmed him and almost sent him diving to his knees. And for the first time since his mother had told him that he was going back ‘home,’ and that his father would be there to get him in a few days, he felt warm and a slither of peace.

She let go of him, three cats walked up to her, rubbing against her legs and vying for her attention as they peaked up at Andre, analyzing him.

Leaning over, his grandmother scratched the head of all three cats, stood up and made her way to the brightly lit kitchen.

Andre only smiled at the cats. Two of them he remembered, but they probably forgot him. The third was a new cat his manman got after he left. He loved cats and had always loved his manman’s cat and shared the same feline love with her.

The cats gave him one final look and followed after their beloved human.

“Your grandfather will be back soon. He hadn't thought you would be here so soon.” She stopped talking to look back at him, smiled and waved. “Come here, love. Let me make you a plate.”

The kitchen was large and filled with herbs and indoor plants. The two large windows that tended to be open all summer long were closed. The first thing he noticed was the steaming, delicious spread on the small, wooden table. It was something. His stomach hurt, his hunger coming out full force. Still, she had things cooking on the stove. It smelled heavenly.

She noticed his gaze. She smiled and said, laughter evident in her tone. “Are you hungry?”

“A little peckish,” he admitted.

“A little?” She laughed. “That was a full on rumble I heard a moment ago,” she said, walking toward the mug tree. “After such a long drive I knew you would be. Can I get you something warm to drink, baby?”

He felt the familiar ball of emotions slide and lodged in his throat. Clearing it, he shoved his fingers through his long, thick, kinky hair and gave her a lopsided smile. “I should go grab my bags first.”

His father was probably still outside waiting on him.

“Nonsense.” She waved his suggestion away. “You’re hungry. Come. Sit.” She bustled around the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of hot chocolate? It’s been getting so cold lately.” 

She laughed. “I am not sure if it’s the weather or if I am just old.”

He chuckled. “It’s just cold.”  
“You know,” she said, busying her hands as she poured him chocolate in a deep green ceramic mug. It looks like her handiwork. “I’ve spent all my life here. I used to be able to put up with this cold. Now, it’s a different story. Baby, don’t stay rooted there. Come here.”

Before he could move, the door opened. Adre looked behind him and saw his grandfather walking in first with his father closed behind him with plastic shopping bags in his hand.  
The graying old man smiled, his eyes lightning up. “Andre! My boy.”

They made it difficult to be bitter.


	2. Chapter 2

Adre hadn’t wanted to go to school.

In fact, Andre had never thought that he would be going to Green Meadows High School. Not even in his wildest dreams. Not even when he lived here when he was in middle school. 

Back then he knew the probability of that happening was not high because he would have been forced to go there. The next high school was four hours drive away in a completely different town. His original plan had been to fight tooth and nail. 

Now that he was back, it felt stupid to fight such a battle. Plus, his grandparents would have never allowed him to drive that far when there was a perfectly good high school right next door. One he could bike to every morning.

He had a lot to live up to. He would have to graduate high school and then head off to college to make his grandparents happy. Not that he didn’t want to.

His mother had dropped out of university. They had been devastated. She had given them few things to be happy and proud of. He wanted it to be different with him. 

He might hate this town, but he did love his grandparents and did not mind living with them for a few years. They were getting in on age and could use the help to maintain the family business. 

His grandmother had retired six years ago as a high school teacher, she occasionally worked as a substitute. She filled her days with her garden, and all of her other hobbies, and she had a lot. Plus, she was always organizing something and doing something around town. She was a busy lady. But she also helped around the farm, as much she could.

His grandfather was still maintaining the farm, though on a much smaller scale, with the two hired help they have gotten over the years. With him there with them, he could take care of that burden.

He was so happy to be back with them. He just hated this town. This tiny, gossipy little town.

Everyone already knew he was there. His cold, indifferent silence did not appear to be working on the nosey adults who wanted to know everything about his mother’s life and why he was back. And the day had just begun.

Saturday evening, as he was unpacking, the busybody neighbors came over to visit with pies and baked goods. They came in a hord. They heard he was back. They wanted to catch up. He was a sixteen-year-old teenage boy, what could he have to discuss with them? 

He did not want to talk about his mother, but they did not care. His grandparents saved him by releasing him to go finish unpack, but he wondered for how long he could avoid exploding on them and their thirst to know everything about everyone living in this town. 

Sunday was worse, but he tried to busy himself with his chores. 

His grandparents had made it clear he needed structure in his life, something his mother did not give him. Something she hadn’t respected. 

They did not want him to go down the same road as her. They did not say it, but he could see it in their eyes and the way they were treating him. He didn't hate it. It was not like they blamed her. It was more of a regret and a shame. 

They felt ashamed that they raised a daughter like his mother. As if they had failed her. They hadn’t. They were such great grandparents and such great parent figures. His mother was her own individual person. 

He could always tell his grandparents saw him as a second chance. A chance to rectify what his mother did and what they could not do for his mother. 

When his mother was living in Green Meadows raising him, they allowed her to do some of the parenting, but they never trusted her. Truthfully, she had always been more of an older sister. She had always been a very lax, extremely permissive parent.

She proved them correct when she basically kidnapped him--his dad had allowed her to take him, albeit ‘reluctantly,’ as he took the opportunity to tell him. Now that he was back, they were serious about smothering him with love, but also installing rules, structure and a respect for authority in him.

They did not have to fear for him, Andre thought. Because he would never do anything to shame or hurt them. He would never be like his mom. He might be told he looked like her, but that's where their similarities ended. He would always love his mother, but he did not want to be an adult like her.

“So, what do you think?” This kid Pat said. 

Pat was the one assigned to give him a tour of the school; he was making sure to take him to all his classes, making sure he would not be lost on his first day. While he was showing him around, he was also pointing out all the places where the students like to hang out and rambling on about the popular students and all the rumors and gossip he would need to quickly catch up on.

Andre felt a headache coming.

Pat was too friendly to the point of attempting to befriend him, not even minding that he was doing most of the talking. 

“I know you’ll like it here,” Pat said in that aggravating jolly tone. “I know I said we have some real divide here, but it is not like a chick-flick. The jocks are nice.” He paused and gave Andre a pensive look. Biting his bottom lip, he resumed where he stopped when Andre simply stared at him, expression blank. Laughing, Pat said, “Evens is the most popular guy here, and honestly, nice guy.”

Andre smiled at Pat who gave him a critical look as he said that. He flashed Andre a smile as he said, “He’s mainly popular because he is hot.”

He gave Pat a polite smile and looked away, trying to clear his mind and tune him out. He just would not shut up.

He was the principal's student helper. Andre doubted he got to do this often, because he was just doing too much.

“Too bad you missed homecoming by two weeks, but the junior class was spring.”

“Huh?” Andre had managed to mute him in his head and was startled to hear him talking to him. He wondered when he would be done with the tour.

“Our theme,” he said and beamed at him, as if he was slow.

He shrugged and looked away from him again. 

That did not bother him. He hated homecoming. He never went to the dances, anyways. 

“We have a few of the same classes,” he said, pausing his prattling to look at Andre’s blank face. He flashed the grouchy teen a toothy smile. 

“Okay.” He shrugged and looked away from the smiley teen. 

It looked like it was about to rain. The sky had been this sooty gray since he got there Saturday evening and had carried on the same way on Sunday and now on Monday. Still no rain. He wanted it to rain. He liked the rain. It was peaceful. He was trying to flood out the incessant worry about his mother and the stress of being back here at Green Meadows.

“So, do you really not remember m-...anything? Any of us?”

“What?” He turned to look at him and gave him a fresh scowl. “No. No I don’t.”

“Aah, I see. I just, you know? Find it weird to just forget--”

“It’s been six years. Like I said, I don’t remember much of this town.”

“Hmm. More like five.”

“Six.” He gave him a hard look.

He left Green Meadows the summer before seventh grade. He was back halfway through the beginning of his Junior year. He did not care to take care and maintain many of the memories he made here.

In fact, he had been happy when he left here. It had been the perfect timing.

“Right. So, you do not remember any of your friends--”  
He snickered. “My friends are back home. I do not have any here.”

“Oh, I mean, it’s just--”

“Are we done here, dude? I think I can find my way to my class.”

“Well, we have half an hour to go before the kids start getting in.”

Courtesy of his manman. She wanted him to get the tour.

“Okay. I’ll just go wait in the office. Outside. Where the other students wait.” He reached for his schedule and snatched it out of his hand. He winced when he did that. He hadn’t meant to be such a brute. He had just gotten on his nerve with his never ending questions.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to--”

“No, you’re cool.” Pat stared hard at him, but not maliciously. He was silent while he studied him with his bright eyes.

“Cool.” Andre stuttered. “Thank you again for the tour. I learned so much. I mean, I haven’t even met all of my peers, but you have been so thorough and insightful, I am not concerned at all about fitting right in.”

Pat laughed. “Thanks, dude.”

Andre flashed him a smile.

“You might not remember much, but you’re the same.”

Adre stopped mid turn. He flanged back around to level Pat with a hard, inquisitive stare. He did not know how to react to his offhand comment. “Listen, dude, did I ever do something to you when I lived here? Did I bully you unintentionally? I don’t remember being a bully, but you never know. If so, I am sorry. Just--”

“What? No.”

“Then why are you being like this? What do you mean?”

“Well,” he shrugged, “it’s just hard to believe that one of the most popular guys in middle school suddenly forgot all about that.”

Inhaling, Andre briefly closed his eyes. “Listen, that was six years ago. Middle school popularity is nothing. Seriously, nothing in the grand scheme of things. All I want is peace and quiet. I just want to graduate.”

“And leave,” Pat added with an open mouthed smile.  
He nodded, sucking on his bottom lip.

“Me too!” He continued in his cheery tone. A mismatch to the atmosphere. He fell in step with Andre who wished Pat would just leave him alone. “So, have you even forgotten Evens?”

His heart jumped, he felt his chest constricting. He hoped his internal reaction was not evident on his face.

“Huh?” Nothing but confusion and blankness marred his face and voice.

He felt pleased when Pat shrugged. “Wow, you’ve really wiped your memory clean.”

“Huh?”

Pat was too invasive for his liking.

“He was your best, best friend, you know?”

Andre shrugged and snorted. “Not a very good ‘best, best friend’ if I have no clue who the guy is.” He knew he should not have said that the moment it was out.

Andre smiled at him. “I am joking. I mean, I just don’t remember much. It’s been almost a decade.”

Pat stopped walking and, instead of taking this as a chance to escape, Andre stopped pumping his legs too and stared over the shorter, rounder teen. He blinked up at him under his thick glasses, looking like a dark chestnut owl. 

Emotions Andre could not decipher ran through his smooth features before the cherup guy smiled, shrugged and picked up his pace. “I guess so. Anywho, nice to meet you, and see you in Calc., alright?”

“I can’t run away, so I’ll be there.”

Pat’s loud laughter followed him as they made their way to the front office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello! I love interaction.  
> I will  
> Be update tomorrow, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Andre was one of the first students to walk through the door and into his math classroom. He did not understand why he had to have math first thing in the morning.

Pat was right next to him and made sure he let the teacher know he was the ‘new student.’ Like the lady was stupid and was not a resident of Green Meadows. Here, everyone knows everyone; plus, her class was too tiny for her to not notice a new, foreign face.

She, his new math teacher, was Ms. Sugar. Yes, no, really. That was her name. She let out a bubbling laugh when she saw his reaction to her name. 

“I am as sweet as they come; you’re in good hands, eh?” 

He did not know how to react, so he simply gave her a weak, polite smile.

She smelled of coffee and was just as needlessly warm and welcoming as Pat. Her smiles and voice were sugary, an apt description considering her last name. It was too much. Andre knew he was fucked. He would be forced to prostrate in front of all his classes and introduce himself. 

Fuck!

His morning only continued to get worse when a few people he had tried his damndest over the years to forget walked through the door. 

His started to breathe faster, his heart over compensating. With his face on fire, cheeks red, he felt as if the ground gave away from under him and he was falling and falling. 

Amidst their loud laughter and playful banter, Andre knew he was spotted when his ex-friend did a double take and made eye contact with him. The shock, fear and excitement on his smooth, angular face made Andre’s heart raced faster.

Andre felt his pulse would tear though his skin and jump out and run away from the way it pounded. 

Electricity crackled between them. Andre felt frozen, as if he had turned into stone by staring in his wide eyes.

Coming to, Andre skillfully averted his gaze. Regaining his composure first, he then studied his old friend from the side of his eyes. He couldn't help himself.

He was as seraphic as Andre remembered. He still possessed that magnetism that attracted everyone and everything to him. He was the focal point in the room. Just like he used to be back when they were friends.

Pure dread and surprise filled Evens Kazir’s face. Evens could not stop looking in Andre’s direction. The playfulness amongst the group of earlier was gone, and so was his smile. 

This pretty girl with shiny brown skin as slick as a penny with a slick back puff, grabbed his arm, jolting him back to reality. He could barely focus on her as they talked. 

It was getting easier for Andre to breathe, but his chest still felt tight and he still could feel his heart galloping.

Evens looked the same. Older now, handsome now, but still the same. He still had the same fine, satiny glossy mahogany skin, the full lips that were the color of raspberries, and the ridiculous curly lashes that demanded attention. He no longer had an afro, he had his hair in a tapercut, the top coiled. He had piercings now. Two dangling silver crosses hung from his earlobes. He had even developed a sense of style. He was wearing a caramel colored turtleneck sweater and black ripped jeans and black men’s loafers.

He was this grown up version of the Evens he knew before he moved. He even had a girlfriend now. She was pretty. She matched him. They were both attractive.

He tried to not look over at Evens and his friend for the remainder of the class. 

The funny thing about memories was that, the harder you try to suppress them, the more you remember them. You never try to forget the mundane things, it is always the ones that hold significance. It is always the ones you know you’ll never truly get over or forget you want to relieve yourself of. Evens was that. He was one of those memories.

He was right. Ms. Lees forced him to introduce himself. Even making him stand up at his desk and say his name and give his history. He stumbled through it. What was he supposed to say, exactly? She looked so expectant as she stood in front of the classroom, leaning on her desk, arms crossed, and eyes bright.

“Come on now, Andre, you must have more to share? You got to live in such a big city?”

He shrugged, squeezing his fingers to not give into the need to survey the class; to see if Evens was staring, no, gawking at him like the rest were. He probably was.

“No. I am only sixteen, miss, I just went to school and home.” He shrugged again.

“No sports?”

He used to play soccer and then hockey because someone whined till he gave in. But when he moved away with his mom, he stopped all sports. He stopped all extracurricular activities at school, in fact. He shook his head.

“Alright then,” she said and clapped her hands. Unfortunately, she was not done. “You must share with us what you missed the most about Green Meadows and what you’ll miss the most about your home?”

“Nothing. And...nothing.”

She got the memo then. Tilting her head to the side before she straightened herself, she pushed her body off her desk and said, clapping her hands once more, “We welcome you to our school and class, Andre. Very glad to have you back in Green Meadows. You can take a seat.” Looking at the rest of the class, she said, “Friends, let’s get to work.”

As he went down, his eyes caught Pat who was twisted in his chair fron the very front row and gave him two thumbs up and a large smile.

He didn’t like that kid.

\----

Lunch was wretched. 

The food was good, though.

Manman made him a lunchbox. It had floored him when he stepped in the kitchen that morning and he had found his breakfast laid on the table and a lunch bag next to it. He had felt like he was too old for such a gesture. Nonetheless, he had been thankful. He had felt his heart melting when he saw how pleased his manman looked when he thanked her.

Finding an empty table towards the back of the cafeteria, he sat down and took his lunch out. Scrolling through his social media feed, he mindlessly ate his food.

“Hey! We have the same lunch?” 

He looked up as Pat slid his tray and lunchbox on the table and sat down across from him.

“Wha--” He sat up, too stunned to return Pat’s smile. He was hoping he could have some alone time. Every class since his first one had been filled with him introducing himself and getting loads of uncomfortable questions. He was tired.

He missed being invisible.

“What’s up,” a short, round girl with two afro puffs said, dropping down next to Pat and pushing her tray up next to his. She flashed him a smile as she sat down; a boy and a girl sat down after her and nodded at Andre.

All three looked at him as if they expected him to say or do something.

Andre decided to glare at Pat in silence instead.

“Guys, meet Andre.”

“It’s not really meeting,” the girl with the puffs said, giving him her hand to shake. It was weird, but out of a hardwired habit, he actually reached out and shook her hand. She had small, soft, squishy hands. She said through her smile, gripping his hand firmly, “We went to the same middle school. Of course, you would not remember me. But I remember you.” She let go of his hand. He swore he could see a bruise forming.

Her friends all giggled as if she had just shared an inside joke.

Pat filled him in. “Nat here--”

“Natelie,” she said, throwing a grape at Pat. He caught it in his mouth. She rolled her big, oval shaped brown eyes. 

“Nat here had a humongous crush on you in the sixth grade.” He grinned devilishly at her. “She’s probably living her best life right now sitting at the same table as you during lunch.”

She rolled her eyes again. “How could I not?” She said, staring right in Andre’s eye. He could not keep up with them, and he had just met them. He was flabbergasted and did not know if he was getting teased or if they simply did not know boundaries and how to read the air.

They did not appear cruel. He went with the latter of his assumptions.

She opened her carton of chocolate milk, but didn’t take a sip. Instead, she said, “You were just too cute. You were the cutest boy in the sixth grade, you know?” She shrugged. “You would have been the cutest in seventh and eighth, but you moved.” She gave Pat a pointed look. He gave her a cheeky grin. Their two silent friends sighed loudly, grabbing Andre’s attention. They looked bored. It was like they were viewing a movie they had already seen over a hundred times.

Tapping her forefinger on Pat’s forehead, her long black painted nail digging in his skin, Nat jubilantly said, “He has dimples and you have pimples.”

“Look at you learning how to rhyme,” Pat said, reaching over to pat Nat’s smooth, round brown cheeks. She leaned back. “Eww. I do not know where those hands have been.”

“Just my pants to scratch my ass,” Pat said, giggling like an overjoyed child. 

“Eww.” Nat was giggling.

“Please ignore them,” the silent girl said. “That’s how they bond.”

“I can’t believe you two are still dating,” the guy said around the large bite he took out of his hamburger.

“We stroke the fire of our love by bantering.”

“Eww.” The girl said, rolling her eyes. “I want to throw something at you two,” she muttered, sipping her water.

Andre was mute. He did not know what to say. He did not even understand what was happening here. And this was only his first day.

Wretched.

“Let me finish the introduction,” Pat said loudly with a faux authoritative tone to his voice. “Here is Kevina and over there is Kim.”

“Kevin,” he corrected, giving Pat a testy look. Looking at Andre he said, “Selby shouldn’t be trying to change anyone's name.” He gave his friend a mocking grin.

Pat laughed, mouth opened. “My middle name is Patrick, Pat, but I go by Pat. Further, Selby is a nice name.”

“Of course it is, baby,” Nat said, swallowing what she was chewing on to drop a kiss on his cheek. Pat’s grin became more pronounced and he gave Kevin a cheeky look.

“Well, my name is not Kim. It’s Kimberli. Stop giving people nicknames,” the girl, Kimberli, said with a glare. But she smiled at Andre.

“What’s wrong with a nice nickname!”

“Nothing when you’re the one that gives it to yourself,” Kimberli said.

“We broke him,” Kevin said, chugging down some of his milk.

“I am..I am..Nice to meet you all,” Andre finally managed to say.

“I am sorry about all of this,” Nat said, apologetically. “I didn’t mean to harass you--”

“No,” he swiftly cut her off. “No. I mean, you didn’t. I mean, it’s fine; you were joking.”

“No, they weren’t,” Kevin said. “She liked you. Like, really liked you. That’s how Pat here and all of his ugliness won her over. You moved and she was vulnerable.”

The friends let out an ugly laugh.

Andre felt himself shutting down. He did not know these kids and here they were acting like he was dating Nat before he moved.

She was a cute girl, really pretty, but there was never a chance. He was gay. Completely. A hundred percent gay.

They blinked at his blank expression and doubled over with laughter.

“He really shut down this time,” Kevin pointed out.

“I am so, so sorry,” Kimberli said through her laughter.

“Stop it, guys,” Nat said. She gave him a sweet smile. “It’s great to meet you, and I am so happy you’re back home.”

He did not know what to say, so he said what any other person would, “Thank you.” 

Feeling uncomfortable, Andre grabbed his half eaten lunch and made to get up. “I am done, so I am heading--”

“Lunch just started.”

“Yes, and I just remembered I--” His words dried out when Evens and his posse walked in the cafeteria. His heart dropped. 

He felt as if the ground had crumbled underneath him and he had just realized that he was about to fall to his death. He quickly looked away and decided it was best if he finished his lunch.

“I just remembered that I have papers I need to….” He shook his head, rubbing his lips together. “But, never mind. I’ll do it later.” He gave them a smile. They returned it.

“Sorry if we make you uncomfortable. We’re just such a rowdy bunch,” Nat said, mixing her salad. 

“I knew he could take it,” Kevin said with a grin, pointing his fork at him. “Out of all of them, he always seemed the nicest.”

“Huh?” And there they went losing him again. 

“Back then,” Kevin added, as if that was enough information to fill in the dots.

“So, you’re not hanging out with the same crowd anymore?” Kimberli said, not applying tact.

“Sorry?”

“Today is his first day back, guys. Relax.” 

He gave Pat a confused look. What were they on?

“Them,” Kimberly said, turning around to point to the tables by the glass wall. There sat Evens and a bunch of other kids that looked like jocks.

“I was never hanging out with them?”

“Back then,” Kevin said.

“When?”

“Middle school. Wait have you really forgotten everything? I thought you were just acting?” Kimberli blatantly said, tossing a box braid that was dangerously close to dipping in her yogurt over her shoulder. 

He gave Pat a look. He shrugged. “You're a hot topic, you know?” As if that was an adequate excuse.

“Right. I bet there will be loads of posts on you on Meadows Secret,” Kimberly said.  
“What?”

“Dude, you’re sitting with the correct people. We have so much to fill you in to get you ready to interact with the wild creatures that’s call GM High.

“And MeadowSecret!” Nat added with glee.

“Huh?”

“Green Meadows High.”

“What?” He was completely and utterly confused. They were such a perplexing bunch.

He left lunch knowing that back in elementary and middle school, he was well liked. A lot of the girls had crushes on him. Meadows Secret was actually MeadowSecret, a tumblr blog that was created by Pat, freshman year. Everyone went there to spill beans and to learn about all the dirty little secrets that plague their teenage existence. It looked like it was pure rubbish and useless.

Also, what he feared most had been exactly what he thought it was. 

There had been a rumor about him. But it was never blown to the extent he thought it did. Maybe because he moved right after the fact.

The quadruplets told him they never believed the rumors created about him. They knew it was a lie because he had a fall out with his so called best friend, Evens, and he was the evil one.

They really liked him. And he still did not even know why.

By the time lunch was over, he had all of their phone numbers and had been encouraged to join the Yearbook club, the photography club, and the art club (he had nice, photographer hands, so Kimberli had said in a serious tone). He had decided it would not be too bad to know some people around this hellhole he called Green Meadows High school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry that I missed yesterday’s update.  
> Got into a car accident and had a horrible day.


	4. Chapter 4

Andre was one of the first students to walk through the door and into his math classroom.

He did not understand why he had to have math first thing in the morning. 

Pat was right next to him and made sure he let the teacher know he was the ‘new student.’ Like the lady was stupid and was not a resident of Green Meadows. Here, everyone knows everyone; plus, her class was too tiny for her to not notice a new, foreign face.

She was Ms. Sik. 

She let out a bubbling laugh after she said her name and gave an explanation, like he had taken the time out of his day to ask her. He hadn’t. “Sik. Not sick.” 

He nodded and gave her a polite smile.

She smelled of coffee and was just as needlessly warm and welcoming as Pat. It was too much. Andre knew he was fucked. He would be forced to prostrate in front of all his classes and introduce himself. 

Fuck!

His morning only continued to get worse when a few people he had tried his damndest to forget walked through the class’s door. 

Amidst their loud laughter and playful banter, Andre knew he was spotted when his ex-friend did a double take and made eye contact with him. 

He could tell he was expected, just not here in Ms. Sik’s class and not now. Five years was still too soon, it seemed. 

Andre felt his heart dipping. It was slightly painful.

He felt as if the ground gave away from under him and he was falling and falling, all the while being set on fire. Andre felt his pulse would tear though his skin and jump out and run away from the way it pounded. 

Andre skillfully averted his gaze. His face felt tight, as if someone was pulling the skin of his face from the back of his head. 

Regaining his composure first, he stared at his old friend from the side of his eyes. He couldn't help himself.

Evens Kazir, his dear best friend from when he was a tween, had quieted down and seemed relatively as awkward as Andre felt he looked. 

Evens was as seraphic as always. The playfulness amongst the group of earlier was gone, and so was Evens’ smile. Pure dread and surprise filled Evens’ face now. 

Their eyes almost met then. Andre quickly looked away.

After a few seconds, he peeked at him and his friends again. 

This pretty girl with shiny brown skin as slick as a penny with a slick back ponytail and skillfully laid baby-hairs grabbed his arm, jolting a shaken Evens’ back to reality. Evens skillfully averted his gaze from lingering in Andre’s general location and righted his face.

Andre did not know what he expected, honestly.

Evens looked the same. Older now, handsome now, but still the same. He still had the same fine, satiny glossy mahogany skin, the full lips that were the color of raspberries, and the ridiculous curly lashes that demanded attention. Thinking about it, he had been a really cute kid. Now he could see why adults had loved to dote on him.

He no longer had an afro, he had his hair in a tapercut, the top coiled. He had piercings now. Two dangling silver crosses hung from his earlobes. He had even developed a sense of style. He was wearing a caramel colored turtleneck sweater and black ripped jeans and boots.

Evens was this grown up version of the Evens he knew before he moved. At the same time, he looked different. Very different. Like a new person. A jock. He even had a girlfriend now. She was pretty.

He tried to not look over at Evens and his friend for the remainder of the class. 

The funny thing about memories was that, the harder you try to suppress them, the more you remember them. You never try to forget the mundane things, it is always the ones that hold significance. It is always the ones you know you’ll never truly get over or forget you want to relieve yourself of. Evens was that. He was one of those memories.

Even though he had already introduced himself to Ms. Sik, she still forced him to introduce himself to the whole class. Even making him stand up at his desk and say his name and give his history. He stumbled through it. What was he supposed to say exactly? 

Ms. Sik looked so expectant as she stood in front of the classroom, leaning on her desk, arms crossed and eyes bright.

“Come on now, Andre, you must have more to share? You got to live in such a big city?”

He shrugged, squeezing his fingers to not give in to the need to survey the class; to see if Evens was staring, no, gawking at him like the rest were.

“No. I am only sixteen, miss, I just went to school and home.” He shrugged again.

“No sports?”

He used to play soccer and then hockey because someone whined till he gave in, but when he moved away with his mom, he stopped all sports. He stopped all extracurricular activities at school. 

He shook his head.

“Alright then. You must share with us what you missed the most about Green Meadows and what you’ll miss the most about your old city?”

“Nothing. And...nothing.”

She got the memo then. Cocking her head to the side before she straightened herself, pushed her body off her desk, clapping her hands, she said, “We welcome you to our school and class, Andre. Very glad to have you back in Green Meadow. You can take a seat. Let’s get to work.”

As he went down, his eyes caught Pat who was twisted in his chair from the very front row and gave him two thumbs up and a large smile.

He didn’t like that kid.

\----

Lunch was wretched.   
Manman made him a lunchbox. It had floored him when he stepped in the kitchen that morning and he had found his breakfast laid on the table and a lunch bag on the kitchen counter, because he felt like he was too old for such a gesture. Nonetheless, he had been thankful.

Finding an empty table towards the back of the cafeteria, he sat down and took his lunch out. Scrolling through his social media on his phone, he mindlessly ate his food.

“Hey, we have the same lunch!” He looked up as Pat slid his tray and lunchbox on the table and sat down across from him.

“Wha--” He sat up, too stunned to return Pat’s smile. 

Andre was hoping he could have some alone time. Every class since his first one had been filled with him introducing himself and getting loads of uncomfortable questions. He was tired. His social battery was dead.

He missed being invisible. He missed his old schools and home.

“What’s up,” a short girl with spacebunds said, dropping down next to Pat and pushing her tray up next to his. She flashed Andre a smile and a boy and a girl sat down after her and nodded at Andre.

He was flummoxed.  
All three looked at him as if they expected him to say or do something.

Andre decided to turn into stones and glare at Pat instead.

“Guys, meet Andre.”

“It’s not really meeting,” the girl with the space buns said, giving him her hand to shake. 

It was weird, but out of a hardwired habit, he actually reached out and shook her hand. She had small, soft, squishy hands. Gripping his hand firmly, she said through her smile, “We went to the same middle school. Of course, you would not remember me, but I remembered you.” She let him go. He swore he could see a bruise forming.

Her friends all giggled as if she had just shared an inside joke.

Pat filled him in. “Nat here--”

“Natelie,” she said, throwing a grape at Pat. He caught it in his mouth. She rolled her big, oval shaped brown eyes. 

“Nat here had a humongous crush on you in the sixth grade.” He grinned devilishly at her. “She’s probably living her best life right now sitting at the same table as you during lunch.”  
She rolled her eyes again. “How could I?” She said, staring right in Andre’s eye. He could not keep up with them, and he had just met them. Truthfully. 

She opened her carton of chocolate milk, but didn’t take a sip. Instead, she said, “You were just too cute. You were the cutest boy in the sixth grade, you know?” She shrugged. “You would have been the cutest in seventh and eighth, but you moved.” She gave Pat a pointed look. He gave her a cheeky grin. Their two silent friends sighed loudly, grabbing Andre’s attention. They looked bored. It was like they were viewing a movie they have seen over a hundred times.

Tapping her forefinger on his forehead, her long black painted nail digging in his skin, she said, “He has dimples and you have pimples.”

“Look at you learning how to rhyme,” Pat said, reaching over to pat Nat’s smooth, round brown cheeks. She leaned back. “Eww. I do not know where those hands have been.”

“Just here,” Pat said, giggling like an overjoyed child.

“Please ignore them,” the silent girl said. “That’s how they bond.”

“I can’t believe you two are still dating,” the guy next to her said around the large bite he took out of his hamburger.

“We stroke the fire of our love by bantering.”

Nat broke out into laughter at Pat’s response.

Andre was mute. He did not know what to say. He did not even understand what was happening here. And this was only his first day.

“Let me finish the introduction,” Pat said loudly with a faux authoritative tone to his voice. “Here is Kevin and over there is Kim.”

“Kimberly. Stop giving people nicknames,” the girl, Kimberly, said with a glare. But she smiled at Andre. “Nice to formally meet you. Again.”

He gave a jerky nod.

“We broke him,” Kevin said, chugging down some of his milk.

“I am..I am… I mean, I am fine. Nice to meet you all,” Andre finally managed to say.

“I am sorry about all of that,” Nat said. “I didn’t mean to harass you--”

“No,” he swiftly cut her off. “No. I mean, you didn’t. You were joking.”

“No, they weren’t,” Kevin said. “She liked you. Like, really liked you. That’s how Pat here and all of his ugliness won her over. You moved and she was vulnerable.”

Andre felt himself shutting down. He did not know these kids and here they were acting like he was dating Nat before he moved.

She was a cute girl, really pretty, but there was never a chance. He was gay. Compeltely, a hundred percent gay.

They blinked at his blank expression and doubled over with laughter.

“He really shut down this time,” Kevin pointed out.

“I am so, so sorry,” Kimberli said through her laughter. “I am not laughing at you,” she reassured, after catching her breath, “just at this hilarious situation. Do not hate us. We’re not super crazy.”

“The long explanation makes it seem like we are.” Pat laughed.

“Stop it, guys,” Nat said. She gave him a sweet smile. “It’s great to meet you, and I am so happy you’re back home.”

He did not know what to say, so he said what any other person would. “Thank you.” Grabbing his half eaten lunch, Andre made to get up. “I am done, so I am heading--”

“Lunch just started.”

“Yes, and I just remembered I--” His words dried out when Evens and his posse walked in. His heart dropped. He felt as if the ground had crumbled underneath him and he had just realized that he was about to fall to his death. He quickly looked away and decided it was best if he finished his lunch.

He could not explain his visceral reaction to the teen.

“I just remembered that I had papers I needed to…” he shook his head, rubbing his lips together. “But, never mind. I’ll do it later.” He gave them a smile. They returned it.

“Sorry if we make you uncomfortable. We’re just such a rowdy bunch,” Nat said, mixing her salad. 

“I knew he could take it,” Kevin said, pointing his fork at him. “Out of all of them, he always seemed the nicest.”

“Huh?” and there they went losing him again. 

“Back then,” Kevin added, as if that was enough information to fill in the dots.

“So, you’re not hanging out with the same crowd anymore?” Kimberly said, not applying any tact.  
“Sorry?”

“Today is his first day back, guys. Relax.” 

He gave Pat a confused look. What were they on?

“Them,” Kimberli said, turning around to point to the tables by the glass wall. There sat Evens and a bunch of other kids that looked like jocks.

“I was never hanging out with them?”

“Back then,” Kevin said.

“When?”

“Middle school. Wait have you really forgotten everything? I thought you were just acting?” Kimberli said, tossing a box braid that was dangerously close to dipping in her yogurt over her shoulder.   
He gave Pat a look. He shrugged. “You're a hot topic, you know?” As if that was an adequate excuse.

“Right. I bet there will be loads of posts of you on Meadows Secret,” Kimberly said.

“What?”

“Dude, you’re sitting with the correct people. We have so much to fill you in to get you ready to interact with the wild creatures that call GM High their high school.”

“What?” He was completely and utterly confused. They were such a perplexing bunch. He just kept on getting more and more confused as they talked and interacted with him.

He left lunch knowing that back in elementary and middle school, he was well liked. A lot of the girls had crushes on him. Meadows Secret was actually written as MeadowSecret, a tumblr blog that was created by Pat their freshman year. Everyone went there to spill beans and to learn about all the dirty little secrets that plague their teenage existence. It was rubbish and useless. Andre never shared that opinion with them. He smiled kindly and nodded, all the while dying inside.

What he feared most had been exactly what he thought it was. There had been a rumor about him running away. But it was never blown to the extent he thought it would have. He was happy about that.

His tablemates went to great pains to let him know that they never believed the rumors created about him. They knew it was because he had a fall out with his so-called best friend Evens and he was the evil one.

They really liked him. And he still did not even know why.

By the time lunch was over and he had all their phone numbers and had been encouraged to join the Yearbook club, the photography club, and the art club (he had nice hands, an artist’s hand, so Kimberli had said in a serious tone); Adre left lunch deciding it would not be too bad to know some people around this hellhole he called Green Meadows High school.

Maybe high school would be less boring and his time here would go by faster.

That’s what he most coveted. It would not be too bad.


	5. Chapter 5

Andre had been enjoying the sit down dinners he was having with his grandparents. It felt cozy and intimate. And, as stupid as this sounded, he felt like he was finally a part of a family. 

He always knew he had a family and was always a part of it, but sitting down at a dining table and eating dinner at a set time in the evenings, made it all feel real and, honestly, like one of those family friendly PG-13 movies.

It was not until he was here that he realized how much he missed this little mundane thing, sitting down around a dinner table to have a hot meal, and how much he had wanted it back.

On his first Friday back, the dinner arrangement was different from all the other nights, his father decided to join them. Andre was not sure who invited who, but there he was, sitting across from Andre and downing the beautiful dinner that he had helped his grandparents prepare.

He couldn’t help but wonder if that was going to become a norm. Having dinner with him every Friday. Andre didn’t like it. Not one bit.

He did not dislike his father. He just did not know the man and did not like being around him because he felt uncomfortable. He never knew what to say. The main reason they never talked on the phone much as he got older. It was like pulling teeth. His grandparents could handle him, so he stayed quiet and ate his food.

His mind started to wander. He was not even thinking about his mom. He was thankful for that. The more he avoided thinking about her, the less he would get closer to that achy loneliness feeling he hated. He did not want to be upset at her, nor miss her. Not now.

He was thinking about school. There was Pat and his friends who refused to leave him alone. And there was Evens, too. It was hard to ignore him. Evens was popular. In fact, he was the most popular kid in school. That did not surprise Andre. He had been the most popular kid in the sixth grade, too. 

Evens was the quintessential high school chick flick movie and TV show jock. He was a good athlete, he played hockey, he was charismatic, tall, muscular, dark and handsome. And, let’s not forget, he came from money. Even if it was not his. His family was one of the wealthiest families in Green Meadows.

Adre was trying his best to not acknowledge that Evens lived in the same town as him or that they go to the same school. He was trying his best to act like he did not exist. It was hard. 

Andre had nothing to say to him. He had been the one that ruined their friendship. Evens was always the one to start things and end things and then act like it was never his fault. He was a spoiled brat. That he remembered. But Andre did expect things from Evens. He expected remorse.

Andre could not help but wonder how long it would take for him to reach out to him. 

“Andre, baby, your dad is talking to you.”

He came out of his head. He smiled at his grandmother, looked at the awkward man and apologized. “Yes. Sorry. What is it?” 

His father gave him a weird little smile and nod and dropped his gaze.He had never met a more perpetually awkward man than his father.

Andre took his mother’s looks and coloring, but his father’s personality. Now he saw why his mother could not have made it work even if she had tried. She was fire and he was water. They did not mix. Literally. One would kill the other.

“Just wanted to know how you were enjoying being back home.”

Home, huh?

“It’s been great.”

“School?”

He wanted to remind him that he had already asked. In fact, he had been calling him everyday when he did not drop by to check on him. He wondered how long he was going to carry that on. It has been a week, the idea of him being here in Green Meadows was novel. Soon they all would tire of him. And he could not wait.

He was tired of sticking out like a sore thumb.

“Great.”

“Great?” His papa said, cutting in his roast potatoes.

“Yes, sir. I like my classes; the teachers are very helpful and have brought me up to speed. I have made friends. It’s been good.”

His father’s face cleared a bit and he gave him that nervous smile again. Once more, he broke their eye contact as soon as they made it. “You have made friends?”

“Yeah. This kid named Pat and--”

“Yes, he is a good boy. The Cypresses up by the hardware store. Good family. Good kid.” His grandpoppa said, giving him a nod of approval.

“What about Evens?” His manman said. 

He felt his throat closing.

Clearing his throat sharply, he took a sip of his drink to stall the conversation. Pursing his lips, he considered the situation and how to proceed forward.

“You haven’t seen him? That can’t be.” HIs grandmother sounded perplexed.

He shook his head delicately. “What about him?”

She arched an eyebrow. 

He cursed himself internally. He thought his voice was schooled and impressionable. Did he do it wrong? Apparently so. He tried to quickly come up with an explanation that would make sense or at least get the adults off his back.

“You used to be close to Evens?” She stopped eating to look at him. He felt like he was under a microscope. He didn’t like it.

“That was almost a decade ago.”

“A decade?”

“We have just grown up to be different people.” He dropped his gaze.

“That happens,” his grandpoppa said, and his father nodded his agreement. His manman gave him a critical glance. “Well, I hope you can mend your differences to work together,” she said, fixing her napkin on her lap.

“I hardly--”

“We open up in two weeks. Next week we’re going to start getting ready for the fall attraction.”

“I am excited,” Andre said slowly and frowned. He felt like he had missed a very important piece of information.

“Evens works here every year. He is a good boy.”

His heart dropped and that feeling of the ground disintegrating and the fear that he was about to fall to his death returned.

“Ooh,” was all he could say in return. He avoided his manman’s eyes. He reached for his drink again and gulped it all down.

Great. He could never catch a break. 

“How about extracurriculars?” 

“Huh? Sorry, ma’am.” He quickly apologized to his manman. She smiled at him, her eyes kind and warm. “I mean, what?”

“You should join some clubs, baby. It’ll help your transition to a new school much easier. Though it does not appear as if making friends is difficult for you.”

Andre softly chuckled and shrugged. “I’m not really interested at the moment.”

“You can still do sports. Next year, of course. But if you’re interested, you still have a chance.” His father said. 

“I’m not really into sports.”

“Huh? Didn’t you use to—”

He did play sports when he was younger, but it was because of who his friend was. Not because he had honestly loved sports. 

“Never liked it much.”

“Alright then. Your mom said you were in a band, right?” His dad looked at him with eyes filled with uncertainty. 

Andre shrugged. “Something like that.”

“Check the music club out, then.”

“Sure.” He wouldn’t. He simply wanted the conversation to end. 

\---

Lunch time at school was especially hard.

All the classes he had with Pat and the rest of his friends and Evens was hard, which meant that his stress kept on mounting as his day progressed, but lunch always took the cake. 

He got to be with all of them, and his tablemates never shut up. Further, they were horrendously invasive. Even his cold shoulders and look of annoyance did nothing to put them off. Kevin was the only person who seemed to get that he wanted his peace and quiet, but his half hearted attempt at getting his friends to shut up never worked.

Andre hated that he was getting used to it. 

If he had been back home, he would have just gotten up and moved to a different table, but here, it felt wrong. Even the thought felt rude. They were annoying, but they really were not all that horrible. Just a bit too invasive and slightly irritating.

“You know he is not too bad,”

“What?” Andre swallowed his chewed up food and blinked at Nat.

She smiled kindly at him. “Evens. I mean.” She shrugged. “I think it is mean to think that just because they are popular that they are mean bullies.”

He blinked some more at her before he frowned. “Come again?”

Her eyes widened in alarm and she quickly said, “I never said you thought that, but--!”

“What?”

He hated that he had been caught looking at Evens and his obnoxiously loud friends.

She smiled at him. “I’m sure you know that Evens is a nice guy. I have never had a bad interaction with him. Now…” She scrunched up her features. “Some of his friends are just….not it.”

“I don’t know what you could mean by that.” He didn’t want to show that he was interested but he was. He didn’t want to be interested in Evens and his friends, but he couldn’t help himself.

Kim stopped trying to win whatever argument she was having with Pat and Kevin, turned around and faced the two and said, “Not all of them. Just cumhead James.”

Andre arched an eyebrow of curiosity. “Sorry?”

Kim quickly surveyed Evens’ lunch table. “He is absent today. But it shouldn’t be too hard for you to spot him. His existence is unneeded.”

Andre tried to stop his smile from forming. “I’m glad I don’t know him?”

“Sorry,” Kimberli said.

Nat laughed. “Hush, Kim dear.”

Andre couldn’t hold back anymore. He tried to sound as indifferent as possible as he said, “What did he do? Now I am curious?”

Nat warned him with her eyes. He ignored her. Instead, he gave Kim a pleasant look. Urging her with his eyes to go ahead and tell him the whole story.

“It happened freshman year.”

Nat groaned and rolled her eyes. “Why must you hold a grudge against a guy that doesn’t even know you exist simply because he was a terrible boyfriend--to a girl that doesn’t even know you exist!”

She gave Nat a crossed look. “What he did to that girl was horrible!”

Nat tutted. “That’s how jocks are, babe. It is none of our business.”

“As a woman, it is all of our business when one of our sisters is hurt.”

Kevin and Pat laughed. 

“Here she goes.”

“Shut up, Kevin; this is why you’re single.”

“Ouch!” he laughed, covering his chest as if her words had been bullets that pierced through his heart.

Andre changed his mind and did not want to hear more of the story. He silently watched the friends heated back and forth banter. But he had already gone too far. Kimberli set her impassioned gaze on him and started to recount the break up story of two people Andre did not even care about.

He hated himself a little but as he listened to Kimberli rambled on.


	6. Chapter 6

Andre knew he already held a bias against Evens’ friends. 

This dislike, which verged on contempt, had nothing to do with them as individuals, but because of their association with Evens. 

Realizing that Evens had kept on living his life after doing what he did to him, made him dislike all of his friends. And the fact that he felt like he was constantly surrounded by them--as if they were not in the same grade and in the same high school-did not help him with controlling his emotions. Still, he tried to keep an open mind, and well, just ignore them. 

Andre was trying to be mature. 

He had been doing a great job staying away from Evens and his friends until Wednesday afternoon, during his last period of the day, gym class, when he decided he truly did not like Evens’ friends, and not because they were friends with Evens but because they were sort of shit-people.

Kimberli had not been wrong on her assessment of James and the rest of Evens’ friends.

Adre was routinely changing out of his sweaty gym clothes, mind far away from Green Meadows, when this kid, a Justin, slid up next to him and said in a totally inappropriate jovial, clipped tone, “You’re not hard.”

“What?” He looked up at him with a frown, startled by both him talking to him and what he had said.

He flashed him a smile, and gave him a haughty look of inspection. “Well, you’re gay and is in a boy’s locker room.”

“What?” Andre pushed his body up from his position on the bench and towered over the vermin, forgetting about taking his left shoe off. He gave him a cold glare from slitted eyes. He felt his temple beginning to pound.

He felt his body heating up, blood rushing to his ear. Andre wondered if this would end up being his first fight. But, he couldn’t. He could not do this to his grandparents. He fell back a little and felt his heart race slowing.

Just as carelessly as he had been, Justin said, “Maybe the rumors are wrong?”

“What rumors?” Andre asked, trying to relax his body and appear unfazed.

“What rumors?” Justin repeatedly back slowly and with a stupid look on his face. He gave Andre a hard look; that’s when Justin noticed the tension, his barely restrained anger, and took a slight step back, smiled still on his face and busied his hands with his shirt. He shrugged impetuously.

Andre wondered if he still did not understand the gravity of what could happen to him if he said the wrong thing. He loved his grandparents, but he was still trying this maturity thing.

“Yes; what rumors?” Andre was proud of himself for sounding so clear, calm, and innocuous.

Justin gave him a curious look. “You’ve really contracted dementia.”

“That’s not something you contract.”

“Then how did you forget everything?” He stopped fidgeting and openly stared at Andre. He returned his stare.

Andre shrugged. “I didn’t. I just forget unimportant and insignificant things. Green Meadows is one of them.”

Justin laughed.

“So you’re not gay?” A different voice asked. 

Andre looked away from Justin to gaze at his friend, a half naked James. 

James made his way towards them. He had a painfully fake smile stretched on his face.

Andre said, “What?”

James shook his fingers through his damped tightly coiled hair. “You have forgotten about tonguing Evens down in his closet back in the sixth grade?”

“If I have managed to forget you, apparently so?” Andre refused to let his irritation appear on his face. He returned James' languid smile.

“No. You would not have remembered me. I wasn’t in Green Meadows yet. I moved here that summer. But I remembered the rumors about Evens’ best friend.” He looked away from Andre as if he was an insignificant little fly that had just been dismissed. “I think Evens is gay, too.”

Justin let out a loud bark of laugh and cheerily nodded. His head bobbing like one of those bobbing-head dolls found in cars.

Andre felt his grip on his self control slipping.

“And what’s that to you?” Andre asked, smiling tightly.

James shrugged recklessly. “No reason.” He looked at him critically. “It's just, you know? I wonder, if you two were to have dated, who would have been the girl? None of you look girlish.”

Andre had to laugh. This was ridiculous.

“What?” James gave him an opened eye look. He was being serious. 

“You know what,” Andre started, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. “Are you sure you’re not gay? You’re too interested in what gets me hard.” He arched an eyebrow, smirking.

Justin cleared his throat and looked awkwardly back and forth between the two teens.

James’ blinked hard, annoyance clouding his previously easy going countenance. “Fuck no! I don’t look butt holes.”

“Okay, nice to know; to each his own.” He told him with a sweet smile as he shrugged.

“But it’s clear you do,” James fired back.

Andre chuckled and shrugged. “That’s for you to ponder endlessly about and for me to know. Now, gents, if you do not mind, I would like to change in peace. I have places to be at.”

\---

He heard the light even steps, and felt the table shake a little when the chair opposite from him was pulled and someone sat down. The person had large masculine hands and large forearms. He cleared his throat. 

The overpowering scent of citrus and apple cider was the only clue he needed to know who the person was. In spite of that--no, because of that--Andre refused to look up. He wanted to enjoy his library time.

He was freed of the four minions that had decided he was now their best, best friend of all time. Still, his freedom had been short-lived.

Why couldn’t he get any free, alone time? He was feeling particularly crossed. This truly was not the best time for him to corner him, Andre decided. He tightened his grip on his pencil.

Andre did not speak nor look up, instead he aggressively flipped a page in his textbook and dragged his pencil under the line of words. He was not really reading. He could barely focus on anything other than the person sitting across from him.

The silence was deafening. He heard his labored breathing and felt each beat of his heart. It was so, so loud.

“Are you going to ignore me?” His voice was throaty and light.

The first time Andre had heard him speaking in class, his brain had short circuited. It was so unexpected, and so different from what he used to sound like when they were kids. He sounded like an...well, a man now. He was not a man yet, and Andre knew that, and he assumed he thought he would still be the same old kid he left in Green Meadows almost six years ago simply because they were still only teenagers.

He might now be grown, but Andre still felt the scorn. Not much had truly changed.

“I am trying to.” Andre finally answered his question. He hated how petty he sounded, but he truly was upset.

He sighed loudly; his breath smelled minty. “Okay, I deserved that.”

Andre was having difficulties moving on past his voice. The change. 

When they were younger, he had such a high pitched voice. The change in vocal tune was another proof that they were now completely different people. Time changes people. And he was fine with it. He expected it.

He felt an ocean between them now.

Andre overlooked the sting he felt.

Andre was hoping his obvious rejection would make him go away, but he didn’t. Instead, he stirred in his seat, got comfortable, and said, “I am sorry.”

Gripping his pencil, he steered himself and looked up at him. His heart quivered and his stomach promptly started tying itself up into tight, painful knots. Being this close to him was so much more different than looking at him from afar or in passing. He was right up in his personal bubble. He could see the boy’s pores.

Taking a deep breath, Andre stared hard Evens. “What?” He muttered, his jaw set like steel.

Andre was not as upset at Evens as he had been yesterday, after his encounter with his so-called friends. Then, he had wanted to murder him cold-bloodedly. This was all happening because of him. Because he couldn't keep his mouth shut six years ago, because he was a coward. 

Evens had thrown him under the bus like he had not been his so-called best friend. He had trusted him. He had had his back and he had repaid him by betraying him right to his face and expected him to just forgive and forget about it all.

No.

It served him right to end up with friends who sounded more like enemies and haters than friends. People that were exactly like him. They were giving him as much as he had given Andre when he had been his friend. He had been a real, true friend. But never Evens. This was Evens’ choice in life and had nothing to do with him. However, his little friends would not disrespect him. That Andre knew.

Staring at Evens struggling to hold his gaze, Andre tried to find within himself a slither of maturity to simply tell him to leave him alone without cussing him out.

Over the years, Andre had tried his best to not think about how angry he was at Evens. In fact, he had tried his best to not think about Evens at all. That had been a failure. He was the first person he had thought of when his mother told him he was going back to his old hometown. Even after almost half a decade. The overwhelming sense of shame, embarrassment, and curiosity had been all he felt for the first hour when he learned of his fate. 

Other than the dread and anger, he had also been relieved that he would get a second chance. A chance to finally set this old best friend of his straight. To set the record straight in Green Meadows that he was not a degenerate; that he was nothing like Evens’ accusation had made him appear.

Evens had run him over, betrayed his trust, and had carried on with his life as if nothing had happened. Andre never got to tell him how gutted he had been. He wanted to hurt Evens as much as he had hurt him.

There he was, popular, well liked by his peers, a jock and extremely good looking. He was living his best life. He did not deserve to. Not after what he did to him.

“Andre,” Evens finally got out after stuttering for half a minute. He inhaled and continued, “Andre, I am and have always been extremely sorry. And I want to take this chance to tell you, face-to-face, that I am sorry and will always be sorry. I want to--”

“Stop. Please.” 

Silence fell between them. 

“I’m sorry.” Evens quickly got out before he silently held Andre’s gaze, an anticipatory look taking over his handsome face. 

“So?” Andre snorted.

Evens did this all the time when they were younger and he hadn’t changed. Not one bit.

He loved to use his ‘I am sorrys’ to get whatever he wanted. He knew Andre would always forgive him and let him off the hook. Not because Andre thought the apologies were sincere, he could never tell with Evens, but because he felt he had to. Evens was his best friend and at least he had apologized, right? Even if he had been prompted to do so by Andre and his anger and hurt feelings. That was manipulation, however, and both boys knew that. But they had been friends, and friends forgave. That’s what his grandparents and mother always told him. So he would forgive. Over and over again.

Evens could not manipulate him anymore. They were not best friends anymore, so he had no reason to forgive him after what he did.

Andre was a different person. He was a changed man.

No best friend who put his friend in such a position. 

Evens sighed again and looked down, his sooty, inky curly lashes mangling. “I am sorry. Truly. And I am sorry that I never got the chance to properly apologize. I want to take this chance to--”

Andre swiftly interrupted, his anger swelling. “Evens, I have been here for a week now?”

“Yes, I know.” He looked up. “But come on, bro. I was twelve.”

The world suddenly grew quiet. Andre glared at Evens who looked like he knew he said the wrong thing.

“Andre, I mean--”

“So was I!” He dropped his shoulders, releasing the tension he was holding. “I was twelve too, Evens.”

Evens bit his bottom lip nervously. He pulled back and slipped his hands off the table. “I know, and I feel like shit.” He bashfully dropped his gaze.

Inhaling, Andre exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. He tried his best to glare Evens down. “Listen, you do not have to make nice because you’ll be starting work at the farm today.”

Evens’s head snapped up. He blinked in confusion before what Andre had just said dawned in. “What, no? I will be working there, yes. But this is not why I am doing this. I--” He stopped and started chewing on the inside of his bottom lip. “It’s kind of been eating me up inside and I just wanted to….” 

He placed his hands on the table and sprawled his fingers apart. Staring at the back of his hand, counting his long fingers, he said, “I did not know how to approach. I have been watching you all week, Andre. I have wanted to talk to you since day one.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I...I….” He stuttered, cheeks turning apple red. “I was nervous. I--”

“Your “nervousness” should not have taken precedence over what you did to me, Evens.”

“I know! I know. And, like, well, it didn’t. I am here now; I’m doing it now.” Before Andre could get his piece in, Evens quickly added, avoiding eye-contact, “I’m really glad you’re back. I’ve….missed you, bro,” he managed to stammer out.

Evens cheeks were apple red.

Long, cold fingers shredded through Andre’s chest and squeezed his heart. That stinging feeling was back.

“Cool story, bro. Thanks,” Andre stuttered, his cheeks heating up. He tried to rein in his emotions. Reminding himself that Evens did not deserve anything from him, not even forgiveness.

He did not want his anger to dissipate.

“Andre, I….You did not…” Evens trailed off, and briefly pressed his eyes shut, those ridiculously showy lashes off his fanning his smooth, hickory brown cheek; after, he opened his eyes and took a hard look at Andre. He looked genuinely hurt at his response. 

“Seriously?” Evens let his emotions show in his voice. 

Andre shrugged. “What do you expect me to say, Evens?”

Whatever facade he had been trying to present to Andre was gone. He was no longer the jock with the easy smile and vebrado. He was a sixteen-year-old boy that was hurt that his best friend in the world moved and never called and was telling him that he forgot about him and never spent a second missing him. And he was to blame for it all.

“I missed you like crazy.” He let out a short little awkward laugh. “We used to be so close. Brothers!”

Trying his best to inhale delicately, he tried to release the breath the same way before he said, “You told everyone I assaulted you.”

Evens physically filenced. He blinked hard. “I was stupid; I was a twelve-year-old boy!” he hissed, leaning in towards him, his dark eyes fiery.

“You’re not anymore.”

They next said simultaneously: 

“Yes, and that’s why I am--”

“Have you told the whole town you’re gay?”

Evens froze. The look of shock and hurt did not deter Andre.

“Thought so.”

“I am not!”

“You’re not, huh? Let’s see,” he tapped his chin and took on an inquisitive look and mocking tone, “you kissed me--”

Evens swiftly interrupted. “I did not!”

“You did. You’re trying really hard to revise history. After all that you’ve put me through with your lies?”

“No,” he said remorsefully. He lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. “I...we kissed. It was a combined effort.” Evens pointed to his chest and then Andre’s.

“Okay. Now you’re telling the truth.” Andre nodded, he was stoic. “I still do not see how I assaulted you, though? Want to tell me the truth about that, too. Or will you continue on lying, Evens.”

His features coulded again. “Andre, please forgive me. I am sorry. I know I fucked up, dude. You never….”

“Assaulted you.” Andre finished for him. 

Evens quickly nodded. “Yes. Of course. You never. You would never.”

“Cool, bro. But, Evens,” as he was talking, Andre leaned and so did an excited Evens. “I know I didn’t assault you. So you do not have to prove anything to me.”

“Yes! Of course! I have...I..I have tried my best to let everyone know nothing happened between us. That you would never, ever assault me or anyone for that matter.”

Andre nodded solemnly. “I see.”

Andre and Evens stared at each other for a few seconds of silence. They could hear the soft murmur of the librarian with a fellow student in the distance.

“You know what makes no sense,” Andre said, smoothing his sideburns with his sweaty palms. “You started all of it, and then you went on to say I assaulted you. Hilarious.” His voice lacked humor.

“I...I know I can’t excuse my behavior. What I did. Or use my age or my immaturity. All excuses. But, Andre, it’s not like you ever pushed me away or told me to stop.”

Andre gave him a humorless grin. He was ready for that response. “Because you always got what you wanted, and this is not about that.”

Evens pressed his lips together and returned his stare. “Okay. It’s not about that. I am selfish. Then, what is it about?”

“Yes, you are selfish, Evens. And being twelve is not why you were and are selfish,” Andre said matter of fact, his gaze never wavering. The jock flinched at his bluntness. 

“Yeah, I know, Andre,” he said, reproachful. “I’m sorry that all I can offer you now is my ‘sorry.’ It’s all my fault.”

Andre nodded. It really was. But it was his fault too, a little bit. He should have never allowed Evens to win him over. He had been too much of a pushover. A follower. That was his penance.

And I take full responsibility.” He swallowed and breathed in. “I’m trying to be a better person, you know? I just...I just want you to--”

“Forgive you?”

Evens looked ashamed, but he still nodded. The movement was so slight, Andre almost missed it. The corner of his lip lifted in amusement. He was enjoying this. Evens’ display of humility.

However, truthfully, the rumors were all on Evens’ doorsteps, but the kissing, yeah, that was both of their fault. Andre could not absolve himself of the responsibility, too.

It happened during Evens’s twelve birthday party. They had a pizza and coke dinner and were playing spin the bottle. It was not a big deal when it spun on Evens and Andre. Even if they were both boys, they were best friends, and everyone thought it was hilarious. Two boys! What a hoot. 

They grew up together, becoming friends in the second grade. Even before then, they had always known each other and had been in the same kindergarten and first grade class. That was the reason they even became friends. 

They had so many playdates and were as close as brothers. Spin the bottle was nothing to them.

They were giggling like crazy and found the whole thing humorous, too. They were immature twelve-year-old boys. They were both boys, no one expected them to kiss. Of course they were going to go in the closet and they would make a scene of it. They could not ruin everyone’s fun. 

Their friends saw them as a good sport and cheered that they had to kiss--they did not mean that, of course. They were being little boys and girls.

In the closet, Evens had done what he had always done. He leaned in and surprised him with a kiss. Andre had thought it was a bad idea and told him so. Their friends were right outside that door. They were playing with fire, and even Evens in his infinite lack of wisdom, discernment, and self consciousness knew that. But still, he was high on bliss, it was his birthday, no one would open the door, they would be quick. And most importantly, he wanted to do it and he would do it.

Evens sweet talked him into relaxing. It was fine, he said. They were not doing anything they did not do in their bedrooms for three weeks now while their families were out there in the house in different rooms. It would be fine. 

Just as he relaxed into his kiss, the door was pulled open and Evens pushed him down and screamed that he had forced a kiss on him. They could have played it off and acted like they were playing, but Evens freaked out and overreacted. Scarred for life, feeling as if his heart was beating outside of his body, as if the world was coming to an end, Andre promptly left the party on his bike, leaving the backpack he had packed for the sleepover at his ex-best friend’s house.

Evens never mustard up the courage to return his backpack or apologize. And it went on record that he assaulted his friend at his birthday party and that he was gay. A shocker, because everyone swore he was straight. Especially all the girls that had a major crush on him. 

What was his parents doing to him to make him gay? And such a little perverted, deviant too? And that’ what hurt the most. Evens made him out to be a pervert, an he was so because he was gay, not inspite of it.

A week later he left Green Meadows.

Andre was not even sure if people still remembered the event or saw him as gay. He knew there might be a few people that remembered the event of that summer, ala Pat and his friends, but he was not sure if the whole town thought he was the only child in this small town that unfortunately turned out gay. And he knew his mother probably would be blamed for that, too--as if sexuality was something you were supposed to blame people for. 

Evens seeking him out was not going to help him avoid those rumors coming back or being remembered by the mass. He was just fanning the dying embers at this point.

They were never going to return to what they once were. It was over and dead.

Andre felt his anger cooling down.

“Evens,” he said softly as he closed his textbook and notebook and reached for his backpack, he had dropped it on the chair next to him on his right, “I do not care about what happened years ago.”

“Okay. I understand but, wait, listen--”

Andre flashed him a smile, freezing him in his spot. “I’m gay.” He shoved his textbook with the notebook on top of it in his backpack.

“I...That’s….”

“It’s fine, you do not have to apologize anymore. Can you leave me alone?” He zipped his backpack and threw it on his back, slipping his arms through the straps.

“No. Stop.” Evens stood up and reached for his arm. They both looked at where he was holding Andre’s arm. He pulled his hand back, squeezed his fingers with his other hand, and quickly issued an apology. “I’m sorry.”

Andre simply made a humming sound at the back of his throat.

“I don’t care if you’re gay--or not!”

Andre arched a quizzical eyebrow. “I am gay; that’s an undisputed fact.”

“Yes. Sorry. What I meant it, I'm sorry for all that I did, and that I...I still want to be friends--regardless of your sexuality.”

“Aah. Thanks. No.”

“Andre, I am sorry. So, so sorry. I...Please?”

Andre exhaled, he was making him feel bad and embarrassed. “Evens, dude, we’re chill.”

“No, we’re not!” he briefly closed his eyes and grabbed his baring and lowered his voice to say in a near-whisper, “You’re not. Say you forgive me.”

Andre rolled his eyes and exhaled. “Evens, stop overreacting. We’re good.”

He reached out and grabbed his elbow, this time he tightened his grip and did not pull back.

Andre frowned at him. “What are you doing?”

“Say we’re friends and you forgive me.”

“I can’t. We’re not and I haven’t. I just...don’t care.”

“Then we’re not chill.”

“Yes, we are.” Andre pulled his arm free of his grip and stepped back to avoid his searching hand. Just then, there was a hushed laugh, a soft whisper and four teens walked around a bookshelf and they stopped when they saw Andre and Evens.

Andre recognized three of the quartet: Justin, James, and Evens’ pretty girlfriend, Yaiya.

Justin and James shared a smile. James directed at Andre a sneaky, sneering grin.

Andre hated him.

He felt gross. His anger doubled. He could not bear to be there anymore.

When Evens had done what he had, he had written into history that Andre was nothing but a living stereotype of a scary, predatory gay man that felt the need to attack fellow males because he had no self control. That had not been true. But bigots did not care.

Evens did not even look like he understood the gravity of what he had done.

Andre was tired of his shit.

“Evens, what’s up?” the tall kid with the smooth bald head said, his smile stretching from one corner of his face to the other. Andre could not place him and his name, but he knew they shared a class. Composition, he believed. 

He probably was part of the group of annoying kids that sat at the back of the class and never shut up. The teacher was besides himself and had stopped telling them to keep it down. Why bother? They did not listen and didn’t care. It was clear.

Those were the kind of friends Evens made. What a guy.

Evens dropped his hand, gave Andre a pleading look and nodded at his group of friends.

Andre gave him a look that said it all. He thought so. Evens was still a coward. Turning around, gaze focused, he started walking away.

“Guys, you remember Andre, right?” He heard Evens saying to his friends. He refused to stop walking. Instead, he added speed to his gait.

“Yeah, wasn’t he…”

“Hey, he’s walking away,” Yaiya said.

“What a dick,” he heard the voice of the baldheaded guy saying. 

“More like he likes dick,” he heard James say in a way too loud voice. He wanted him to hear him say that.

They laughed.

Andre wanted to turn around and hurl cuss words at them. But he controlled himself.

He missed what Evens said to them, but he heard James telling Evens he was just joking.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hey.”

Andre looked away from the inside of his locker, his fingers on the spine of his textbook. He blinked at Kimberli. “Hi?”

She gave him a nervous smile, lifted the strap of her backpack she had on her left shoulder, and fixed the position of the navy blue backpack on her back. Leaning against the lockers, she ran her fingers through her boxed braids and said, “I have a quick question for you.”

His heart thudded. He did not understand why he suddenly felt nervous. It probably was his mirror neurons at work. Kimberli looked nervous.

“Yeah?”

“So, MeadowSecret, have you been on there yet?”

He laughed without humor. She arched a quizzical eyebrow.

“I saw it.”

“Ooh. I….Saw what exactly?” She slightly squinted at him.

“The reason you’re here.”

She sighed. “Listen, just ignore them. They do not know you, you know?”

He laughed again, he couldn’t help himself. “Yeah, I know.”

“Stop laughing,” she said. “I am serious. It’s really not that serious.”

“Why are you here?” 

She paused and blinked. “I….Even though we started MeadowSecret, we do not...I mean, we cannot regulate it, like...” She stopped and inhaled loudly. “We reported the post and will try to get it down.”

“Okay.”

“We’re truly sorry.”

“That’s the intent of the page, right?”

She blinked and furrowed her thick eyebrows. “No! It’s….When we thought of it and created it, its purpose was supposed to be fun. High school gossip, not to bully.”

“High school gossip is bullying--for the most part. Also, I am not being bullied.”

“I--”

He interrupted her. “Calling someone gay--Calling me gay is not bullying.”

“Okay, I am glad you think so, but….”

“That is not why I moved.”

Apparently, no one really forgot about the scandal. He did not even know why Evens thought he would ever forgive him.

She pressed her glossy lips together and pulled them in a straight line. “Okay. I didn’t mean--”

“Good. Are we done?”

“No; how can I let this go if you’re acting so upset.”

“What? I am not. I just told you that.”

She gave him a tender look. To Andre, it looked pitiful. He was starting to get upset.

“Listen, I know this is not fair. But kids are mean. High school teens are trash, alright”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But not all of us are like that. At least we’re sorry and know that it is nothing but baseless rumors.” She smiled and nodded. Swallowing, she inhaled and continued, “Hey, listen.” She pushed away from the lockers and finished her thought, “You know it’s been years and we were so young; plus, no one really, really believes it.”

He felt a surge of impatience and anger. She knew nothing. Why was she so nosey? He snorted and closed his locker with a loud, irritate bang. “Kimberli, I am gay.”

Her eyes grew wide and she began to stutter, blood rushed to her cheeks. “I...I...I didn’t….”  
He chuckled, it held no humor, fixing his backpack on his back. “I’m joking. Like I said, it’s fine.”

“Dick!” she shouted, garnering some looks. She reached over and slapped him on the arm. “Don’t joke with me like that.”

He gave her a smile. “I said it was fine. You refused to let it go.”

“Because.” She stopped and pulled her hand back and realized what she had done. “Shit, I am so sorry. I didn't mean too--” 

“It’s fine.” He cut her off. “I have to get to class, though.”

“My class is in the same direction as yours.” She fell into steps next to him.

“Listen, we’re really, really sorry that this is happening to you. You know, I think Evens should--”

“He doesn’t have to do anything.”

She looked up at him. “Yeah, okay, but he was the one that--”

He cut her off again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She frowned at him, seeming completely lost and confused. 

He smiled at her and said, “See you later, yeah?”

She reached for his arm and they stopped right in the middle of the hallway. “Listen, I know you do not really “know” us, the gang, but stop being so reserved. Join us. We’re not that bad, you know?”

“Pat created MeadowSecret.”

“Yeah? But that’s not what connects us, you know?”

“Lovebirds, move.” 

Rolling her eyes, Kimberli looked over at the grinning teen and gave him the middle finger. “Fuck off.”

“You just bullied me,” he said in a mocking tone, walking backwards and giving her two middle fingers. He had a huge smirk on his face.

Andre recognized him. He was in his composition class and he was the baldheaded guy he had seen in the library with Evens and during lunch. 

Rolling her eyes, she looked back at an amused Andre. “Ignore him. He is stupid.”

“You know him?”

“Who doesn’t know him? It’s cumhead Wesley.”

He laughed. “Wesley?”

She sighed and nodded despondently. “Unfortunately another one of Evens friends you’re better of not knowing.”

“I thought you hated his friends. I didn’t know you were on talking terms with ‘the popular crowd’.”

“Huh? Him?” She pointed in thE direction Wesley was headed. Andre shrugged.

“Ooh hell no! I might have let him know what I think of him, which is very, very negative, and we have an almost identical schedule. I hate him so much.”

“Hate is a strong word.”

She rolled her eyes, but chuckled. “Okay. I don’t hate him. I just dislike him. A lot.”

Andre shrugged. He was not really interested. He just wanted to distract her long enough.

She stepped away from him and let his arm go. “You know, if I was not already a lesbain, he would definitely make me jump ships.”

“Ooh.” He simply gave her a confused, amused, and surprised expression. He knew he looked weird with a face that wanted to show three reactions at the same time. 

She laughed. “You look like how I think I did a moment ago.”

“Ooh.”

“Yeah.” She shrugged, giving him a carefree grin. “It’s no big deal. But, you know, Green Meadows; only my close friends know.” She poke him on the side. He jumped. She winked at him and grinned. “Come to the game with us on Friday.”

“I’ll think about it.” 

The music telling them they had a minute left to get to class started.

She had just decided that he was a close friend. Now he literally could not shake them off.

PART

“You and Kimberli.”

Andre jumped, startled by Evens’ presence. He had been lost in his thoughts. “Dude, what the hell? Don't sneak up on me”

“I didn’t.” He scowled.

“Whatever,” he muttered, going back to his task. He was collecting pumpkin for the display table and sale-corner.

“So, you and Kim.”

He finally heard the implication in his voice. Straightening his body, he frowned at him. “What?”

Evens shrugged, attempting to give him an unconcerned look; his lips, which gave him a permanent smile, with the upcurved corners, did not help him much. It irked Andre, making him boil. 

Evens looked away, bending down; he collected a pumpkin and made for the wheelbarrow. “I didn’t know she was your type.”

“What?” Andre left his puzzlement appear in his tone. “You know what? Never mind. What do you mean you didn’t know she was my type?”

He gently placed the pumpkin on top of the others and turned around to stare at Andre and nodded. “Yeah; I didn’t know.”

“Why would you know my type?” Andre decided to ask, instead of correcting him. He did not even know why they were talking. He felt like an overblown balloon that was on the verge of pooping.

“Everyone’s saying you two are dating?”

“Everyone who?”

Evens looked him in the eyes, and he shrugged. Making a whole show of lifting and lowering his broad shoulders. 

“Everyone at school,” he said.

Andre let out a harsh chuckle. “So, I am gay and dating a girl? GMH needs to decide on a sexuality for me.”

Evens frowned. “Why would….” He blinked, dialing back. “No one thinks you’re gay.”

“Isn’t MeadowSecret the hub?”

“No, it’s not. Only losers visit that site and believe that shit. Those are not real secrets. And no one cares.” He sounded genuinely upset.

Andre wondered how he would react if he knew the owner of that post was probably someone in his circle. It could very well be James or Justin. Both thought he was gay. For all that it was worth, so did Evens. 

Andre decided not to tease him. 

“Chill, dude.” Andre chuckled and focused on completing his task. He hated that he felt appeased at Evens’ reaction. He shouldn’t care, he reasoned. “Remember, I am gay.”

Evens was so quiet, Andre had to turn around and look at him to make sure he was still there. 

“You didn’t believe me?”

“I….I don’t know.” He shrugged, and quickly said, “But I don’t judge. I mean, I don't care. Not really.” But he sure did look relieved. He gave Andre a soft, pleased smile. “You’re talking to me.”

“You’re talking to me.” Andre corrected, looking away from him and his soft smile.

There was something about Evens and his smiles, especially the softer, smallers ones. There was this charming, boyish grin and Andre always felt his heart melting and him bending to his will. He had always adored his friend and had seen him as someone needing protection from him. The ironic thing was, he ended up being the one needing protection. 

In fact, no one would look at Evens and think he needed protection or was soft, sweet and all things good and precious. Evens was a bulky teenage boy with large hands and tree-trunk arms. Between the two, Andre would be the one people run to protect if a fight broke out.

But it was hard to get out of old habits.

Evens shrugged, the lopsided smile still there. “You’re still talking to me.”

“Whatever,” Andre grumbled, feeling awkward. His stomach churned, it was hot. He felt queasy. “Anyways,” he huffed, furrowing his eyebrows, “Kimberli. Why are you asking about her?”

They both stood up at the same time, holding a perfectly round and orange pumpkin. They stared at the other. Evens looked perplexed, and Andre gave his best attempt at looking composed and disinterested.

“Kimberli? What about her?” He asked, cocking his head.

Dumping his pumpkin, Andre shrugged and reached for another. Lifting an eyebrow pointedly, Andre said, “You tell me?”

“What--” Then it dawned in. “Ooh! You think--because I was--” He stopped talking and sighed, then laughed. “I was only asking because of the rumors.”

“So you are interested in me or her?” Andre asked as Evens stood straight. 

The fine furrow between Evens’ forehead disappeared as fast as it appeared then what he said finally soaked in. Evens looked flabbergasted. He flushed, there was a shiny film coating his eyes. Busying his hands and turning away from Andre who let his little smirk appear, he furiously shook his head then said, “No.” He cleared his throat and added, “I mean, as a friend I just wanted--”

“We’re not friends,” Andre swiftly interrupted, his voice clear, devoid of emotions, his words precise.

Evens’ head snapped towards him. He glared at him. “Listen, I know it’ll take you a while to forgive me. I am taking a while to forgive myself, but I want you to stop hating me. One day.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“But--”

“Don’t you have a job to do?”

Evens sighed and grabbed the back of his neck. He looked troubled. “I am doing it right now.”

“And here I thought you were just helping me.” Andre smirked.

“I mean, I am,” Evens quickly said.

He hmphed, grinned to himself, and finished loading the wheelbarrow.

\---

Later that day, as Andre trudged through his homework, his father called him.

He thought about ignoring the call, and lying tomorrow that he was sleeping when he made it. But curiosity got the best of him. He picked up and immediately regretted his decision.

His father was such an awkward man, it was painful talking to him.

After an awkward eternity of all the pleasantries, his father got down to business. “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?”

Tomorrow was Friday and he was starting to think of going to the games with Kimberli and her group of friends, the gang as she called them.

Since he had arrived at Green Meadows, he had been seeing his father every Friday. He’d come over periodically throughout the week and sometimes the weekends, but he was always at his grandparent’s dinner table on Fridays. His father appeared to want to claim his Fridays. 

“Umm, well, around what time?”

“It’s alright if you do not want to.”

“No, I do not mind, sir. It’s just, some people asked me to go to the game with them on Friday and…”

“No, you go. Why don’t we hang out another day.”

Andre felt flushed with guilt. To appease himself, Andre found himself saying against his control, “How about Saturday?”

He could feel his father’s smile when he replied, “That sounds good.”

Andre did not really want to hang out with the man, but his mother had made him promise to at least try to get to know his father. Give him a chance; the chance he had always wanted and deserved. They both deserved it, she said. But he was not so sure. It felt as if she was doing this because she felt guilty for her parenting and for keeping him away from his father.

He did not really blame her for his lack of connection with the man. When he lived here, he did not remember his father really trying to get to know him. They would sometimes hang out, but it was always awkward and he never wanted to spend the night with him and he never did. He also never got to know his paternal side of the family. His father was not close to them and he never got to meet them. They lived in the next town over.

He did not understand why he had to make an effort now and suffer. It all felt so performative and glazed with guilt and shame. Another reason why he was so apprehensive about coming back to this town.

He was tired of his mother’s expectations and responsibilities. She expected a level of wisdom and maturity that he did not want to claim in his teenagehood.

It was nice that his father was trying, but it felt a little too late. He wondered if he could ever see him as a ‘dad.’ He knew nothing about this man and he was such an awkward, timid person. He had come so close to asking his mother every time they talked on the phone why and how she got with him. He was just so bland and anti-social. But he definitely was the best man she ever dated, and for that he was thankful. He’d take a boring man as his father over an abusive, alcoholic loser.

“Alright. Saturday it is, then.”

“Yes. Have a nice time at the game and, umm, see you Saturday.”

“Yeah.”

“Ooh, yes, I hope pizza is okay.”

“Yeah. I love pizza.” 

So awkward.


	8. Chapter 8

Andre had a buzzing, nervous feeling the moment he woke up Friday. Everything was the same as always. He did not eat breakfast, but instead used the extra time to spend a longer amount of time showering. 

His grandparents followed their normal morning routine; they had their tea and coffee, then they made breakfast together. His pappa made his lunch.

It was a bit colder that morning, he noted when he stepped out of the house, into the large winding porch. His manman was driving him to school. They were planning on going into town on Saturday to look for a bike. The walk to school was too long, but biking it would be manageable--and Andre wanted to do it. He wanted some freedom from his grandparents. He loved them but really did not want to make parent drop-off and pick-up a thing.

School started the same way too.

He was getting more looks now and he knew most of the student body probably did think he was gay, or those that were not too sure wanted to know for certain his sexuality. He did not fit their preconceived notions or their stereotypes, and it was confusing them as they rushed to shove him into a tiny box.

Sitting in Calc., completing the busy work that Ms. Sik had administered, someone’s pencil poke him on the back. Sighing, he lifted his head and turned around in his tiny chair. “What?”

The girl flashed him a peppy smile. He still did not know most of his peers' names. And it was all because he was trying to be as unsociable as possible. 

“Sorry. Lia--” She pointed to the two girls sitting in the same row as her, two seats away. The girls smiled and waved. 

The one sitting furthest was Evens’ girlfriend, if he was not wrong; she was Yanouchka Adveri, a member of the school’s drill team. He could see why they would date. She was pretty. Really pretty. Her prettiness was soft; she had those scancilating, pretty eyes and smile, as Evens did. They matched.

Evens frowned when he realized the adjectives he had unconsciously used to describe Evens. He was not comparable to a pretty girl like Yaiya. She seemed nice, even if she was with Evens. Evens was far from nice, at least in Andre’s book.

Andre looked sharply away from her and her dark cat-shaped eyes and stared at the smiling girl behind him. Her smile was too wide, too strained, and too artificial.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Yes?”

She looked uncomfortable. She gave her friends another look. Lia mouthed something to her. She sighed and briefly closed her eyes. “Lia a--” She checked her phone and rolled her eyes, dropping her hands and phone on her lap. “Just Lia, not Yaiya, wants to get the “deets” on you.” She made air quotation marks.

His heart slammed against his ribcage. He tried to get his expression and his tone to remain neutral. “What?”

“Well,” she sighed again, acting as if she had a gun to her temple. “She thinks you’re,” she leaned in as she said “cute, and she would like to get to know you.” She pulled back, and checked her phone again.

He felt his heart rate normalizing and he felt himself relaxing. A rush of air escaped from his nose.

He chuckled, mouth closed. “Umm, I am not really looking for--” Losing the battle, he looked in the girls’ direction and made eye contact with a smiling Lia. She waved. He quickly looked away. 

“She doesn’t want to date you,” she quickly said, looking insulted. She curled her lips in displeasure.

He blinked at her. “Okay? I mean, in my defense, everyone would think that’s what you were implying here.” He frowned at her. “I...I am confused here.”

She rolled her eyes and sucked her lip, and he instantly disliked her.

Leaning in again, she gave him a warm smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to...Anyways, regardless of how I conveyed my message, it’s just, she’s crazy and I don't even know why I am doing this.” She sighed, rolled her eyes again, and massaged her forehead. “Sorry for the constant eye rolling. It’s just something I do. It’s a default at this point.”

Andre’s eyebrows jumped up, but just rapidly, they came down. He instantly forgave her and felt bad for judging her over a very human reaction she just had. 

“You’re Andre, you know? You used to be a Green Meadows’ kid. I can’t believe you don’t remember us.”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

She gave him a hard look. “No relationship. She just wants to link up.” The way her eyes darted told him she had just told a lie.

Something about this interaction felt weird. He knew better than to go along with her and her friends. His mother raised no fool.

“She wants to get to know you,” she added, giving him another quick look. She stopped, bit the inside of her bottom lip and peered at him again. Leaning evern closer, she whispered, “Well, you know, are you gay?”

He snorted against his will. His ears felt as if they were boiling hot. There was a sharp ringing in his ears. Tilting his head to the side to elevate the pressure, he grinned at her. “Like I said, I am not looking for all that right now.”

“Yes, I know. I heard you,” she interrupted, again she rolled her eyes. She had no lie. It was a habit. An annoying one. “The first time,” she sassily added.

“But you never know, you might get to know her and like her. She’s annoying, but she is…” She scowled and gave her friend a deadly look. “She’s not ugly.”

She was not, she was correct about her friend. It felt like all the friendship amongst the popular kids were fake. They were all like crab in a barrel. If only they knew how insignificant the majority of the relationships they formed in high school would be in the future, they would relax and strive for deeper, more meaningful connections--even if it was not with another person.

“Good. I am happy to know that you--” he was speaking slowly, and over pronouncing each and every word. That irritated her. She interrupted. “I am glad we agree.”

“Okay. Then why--”

Her smile was as dry as her voice when she said with a gleam in her eyes, “So, gay: nay or yay?”

She was switching between conversations like a pro, trying to get him to trip and admit something he was not supposed to. Sighing, he stared her down. “Can I speak without being interrupted now?”

She smiled and then laughed, it was a light cute series of giggles. “Sorry. You know what? I feel really uncomfortable doing this. But…” she drawled, rolling her pencil on the desk, up and down. “I am curious.”

“Are you asking about the MeadowSecrets post?”

She lifted a shoulder. “That and….What happened between you and, umm”--she swallowed and dropped her gaze--“Evens.”

“What about him?” 

He instantly knew that his tone changed when she looked up, she looked startled. That obvious spark in her eyes left him upset. He did not know her, why was she acting like he could trust her or she and her friends deserved answers. 

Against his will, he looked in Yaiya’s direction. He wondered if she was the one behind this interrogation. Was she doubting her boyfriend’s sexuality or did she want to avenge him or something?

“Evens? Don’t tell me you forgot him, too?” He was doing a poor job of disauding her, she was now more curious than ever. Her eyes shined with a ferocious intensity now.

He shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. He smiled softly at her. “Sorry?”

“Remember at his birthday party years ago when--”

He sighed. “Nothing.”

“Nothing happened?”

“Nothing.”

“He lied?”

“It was a joke.” 

He closed his mouth and scowled. 

Her eyes shimmered with her overflowing excitement. 

Fully turning his body in a proper 180, he leaned in really close to her. He heard her loud inhale. She smelled of fresh strawberry--not necessarily overpoweringly sweet, but earthy. 

“If you’re so curious, you’re the one that is his friend, ask him.” He cocked his head in the direction where he knew Evens was sitting, playing on his phone and attempting to stealthily sneak glances at him and her as they talked. He bet he was dying from his curiosity and needed to know why he kept looking at his girlfriend.

Andre liked that thought. He looked back at the two girls, gave them a wide smile and nodded. Both returned it with a smile of their own. They quickly looked at each other, giggled softly and began conversing among themselves.

“I--”

“You two sure are talking a lot. I am assuming you have been helping each other figure out the problems?”

They shared a startled look. They looked up at their beaming teacher, mouth slightly agape.

The class erupted in laughter.

Turning around, he gave Ms. Sik a guilty and apologetic smile.

“Sorry,” she said.

Shaking her head, she let out a short amused laugh. “Shyanna, I expected more from you, Ms. Class Secretary.”

“I...I am done and Andre needed help so I, being the class secretary, thought it was my duty to be of assistance” she stuttered through an explanation.

Andre and Evens made eye contact. Evens looked pleased. He grinned, flashing his white teeth, and playfully lifted his eyebrows. Andre promptly broke the contact and looked away. He was still trying to be angry at him.

Ms. Sik stopped her. “This is quiet work time.” She paused and looked around the class. “I feel like we do not even need the review session. You all seem ready for the exam on Monday.”

“No!” they all cried in unison.

She clapped her hands twice and said, tone serious, “Then get back to doing the worksheet so we can review what you do not know well or need to learn so you can pass this test.” 

The final clap was deafening.

Clap!

\----

“Will you be at the game?” Nat asked, gently placing her lunch on the table. She was the first one to join him.

At this point, this was now their lunch table, and he could see the five of them eating together every day until school let out for summer.

Looking up from his phone, he nodded. “Thinking about it.”

She gave him an ecstatic smile. “Do come,” she said cheerfully. “Our hockey games are like no other.”

Yeah, he remembered that. While the rest of the world went crazy for football, basketball, baseball, and soccer, Green Meadows, a little town on the skirt of oblivion went crazy for ice-hockey.

“GMH is good?” he said, just as in his peripheral view, he saw Evens ducked to avoid a fruit that was tossed at him. He jumped up, all long limbs and smiled at his friend. “Hey, don’t waste my food,” he heard Yaiya shouted, demanding that the boys give her back her apple.

“Kids,” Nat said, sighing tiredly, digging in her food--sushi. He arched an eyebrow when he noticed what she was eating. 

“Jocks being a waste of space, what’s new?” Kevin said sardonically, leading the queue, Kimberli and Pat were walking slightly behind him.

“Rude,” Nat said, swallowing her food. “Some of them are not that bad.”

Pat groaned. “You do not have to bite your tongue because Andre’s here. He is one of us now.” And he grinned at him, putting him on the spot.

“I….I don’t think I was ever a jock?”

They laughed. The three sat down. 

“You were,” Kevin said, dusting his pear before he took a large bite.

“You can’t lie. They used to be your friend,” Nat said, and curiosity leaked in her voice. She didn’t say it, but it was written all over her face.

“I don’t know them.” He shrugged with finality.

“Evens.”

His whole existence jumped at the name.

He met Kevin’s gaze. He exhaled, straightened his shoulders and shrugged. “Almost a decade ago.”

“Evens is not that bad,” Nat said, rolling her shoulders in defiance.

Kimberli rolled her eyes. “You are only saying because he is cute.”

“Blah. Cute? He is bonafide hot.” She bat her mascaraed lashes at her friend, challenging her.

“He is still a jock.”

She winked at Kimberli. “That adds to the hotness.”

Pat cleared his throat. “I’m still here.”

“I know, sweetheart,” Nat said, reaching out to lay a hand on top of his shoulder. “And I know that you’re secure in yourself, in me, and our relationship.”

“Still, I’m sure he doesn’t need to hear you glorify a--”

“Shut up, Kim,” Nat said in a sugary sweet voice, dropping a kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek. “We’re good.”

Kimberli rolled her eyes at her. Pat beamed like a satisfied toddler that had just been given a lollipop.

“Sheesh, you two are too much,” Kevin said between bites. 

“Second that,” Kimberli said, giving Nat evil glares.

Kevin laughed, and he high-fived Kimberli.

Nat arched an eyebrow, making sure they were looking, she pulled Pat in for a kiss. Right smack on the lip.

The two friends said simultaneously, “Bleh!”

“You’ll need to get booed up. Stop being jealous.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Hi, can I talk to you?”

Andre stopped walking and turned toward the voice.

“Hey,” he said, surprised.

Yaiya gave him a cute smile, albeit reserved, and tucked some loose flyaways behind her tiny ear. She was by herself.

Andre braced himself for another session of interrogation.

“I want to apologize.”

“Huh?” He blinked, and physically sighed and relaxed.

“Yeah. I owe you an apology.”

“What?” He laughed. “Why?”

“Well, I mean, what happened this morning was not okay. And I couldn’t relax thinking that, you know? That we made you feel so uncomfortable. I am sorry.”

He felt heavy. Staring at her bright, gentle eyes, and her perfect and pretty smile, he knew he couldn’t dislike her. Evens did not deserve her. That he knew. She was so not only so pretty, she was actually nice.

He started smiling at her. “Yeah, it’s okay.”

“Nope. It is not okay,” she said, shaking her head. 

“Well, it’s not. But, you know? It doesn't matter.” He rolled his shoulders.

“Why do you keep saying that? It does matter and I am so sorry.” She pressed her lips together tentatively and then looked in his eyes. “I just wanted to know more about you and Evens, I am sorry.” She blushed and he laughed.

“Thanks for the apology.” He shrugged. “Honestly, there is not much to say. We haven’t been friends in a few years.”

“I know.” She gave him a small, concrite smile. “You’re nice, though. I can see why he likes you so much.”

His eyebrows jumped up. “What?”

She covered her mouth, looking ill at ease. “I mean, he is really sorry! You should talk to him. Please.”

Andre felt weird about the knowledge that Evens talks to her about him. But of course he would, they were dating. That's what couples did. But he still hated it.

He smiled kindly at her.

“Thanks for the apology. I kind of have to--” He pointed behind him, and bit his bottom lip.

Her face lit up as she smiled. “Yeah. Of course! Sorry for holding you. See you at the game!” She waved, gave him a large smile that covered most of her lower face, and walked away before he could say anything else.

\------

Andre stopped fixing his hair when he heard a knock on his door. He was trying to get ready for the hockey game. 

Though he found the whole thing weird, he knew that buzzing charged feeling he had since that morning was nervousness. He was much more excited about the game then he thought he would be. He was not sure if it was because this was a team that Evens was in.

“Come in,” he said, and ran his hand on top of his curlied afro.

The door creaked open. “Your mom is on the line, baby,” his manman said. His heart dropped. 

He didn’t dislike talking to his mother, per se. It was just that, currently, he didn’t enjoy the process. She sounded different from her usual self and he didn’t like it.

Grabbing the phone, he smiled at his manman and put it to his ear. “Hi, mom.”

“Hey baby!”


	10. Chapter 10

Andre felt as if the whole town was at the high school for the game. He was glad he did not have a car to park. He would have had to struggle to find a spot.

Paying a couple of dollars at the entrance for his ticket, he made his way in, feeling like an outcast and trying to not look around. 

Heading for the food court, someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was a beaming Nat and Kimberli. Nat slipped in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks and she gave him a giant hug. For such a short girl, she was strong, but all softness. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

He stayed frozen in shock. Stepping back, she slipped to his side, distracted by her buzzing phone. While she checked her phone, Kimberli said, “You’re here.” 

He shrugged. “Yeah.”

“You won’t regret it.” Nat said cheerily. “Sit with us.” As she said that, she unabashedly hooked her arm through his and Kimberli. Andre arched an eyebrow at the action but stayed mummed.

“What are you getting?” Nat cheerily asked before she started prattling about her favorite foods to get at the games and how much she loved coming to the games. It felt charged--a nice charged feeling. It felt like everyone was happy, and because of that Andre felt happy.

Andre and Kimberli shared a look and then they shared a small smile.

\------

Up in the bleachers next to the girls, and Pat and Kevin, Andre watched as the cheerleaders did their number, cheering the crowd before the teams came on the ice-rink. 

As their school team rolled out, Andre was startled by a few high pitch screams and whistled. It was Evens’ group of friends, the ones that didn’t play hockey. The high pitched screams were coming from Evens’ girl-friends. He could not help but notice how excited Yaiya looked, standing and cheering with all her might for Evens.

Maybe Evens was a good boyfriend. Maybe in the time he was gone, he had turned into a loving, selfless, and caring guy.

Andre even though Evens looked cool in his uniform. He shined. It was like he was gleaming down there, smiling amidst his friend, in an arena filled with people who adored and felt soft towards him. 

This Evens looked familiar. Seeing him on the rink brought back positive memories of when they used to be teammates.


End file.
